Volume Adjustable Container System

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides several novel improvements to freight storage and transportation services. In one detailed though non-limiting aspect, methods and means for safely and efficiently adjusting the interior volume space of an otherwise fixed-volume storage and transportation container are provided.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/022,945, filed Sep. 16 2020, which claims benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/597,929, filed May 17, 2017, which claims benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/283,658, filed Oct. 3, 2016, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/236,644, filed Oct. 2, 2015, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to freight storage and transportation services, and in a specific though non-limiting embodiment to methods and means for safely and efficiently adjusting the interior volume space of an otherwise fixed-volume storage and transportation container.

BACKGROUND

Traditionally, freight storage and transportation carriers have employed a wide variety of fixed-volume container solutions for packing and moving freight loads. For example, train cars, shipping containers, vans, trailer trucks, etc., are all well-known means for storing and transporting freight.

One problem with fixed-volume containers, however, is that the freight loads placed within are seldom, if ever, the same volume as the container. Consequently, shifting, sliding, tilting and other load, movements frequently lead to damaged freight and dangerously unbalanced loads.

One method of dealing with such issues is to simply load the freight as compactly as possible near the front of the container, and then use straps or the like secured to the inside surfaces of the container to restrict movement of the load. in this embodiment, the straps can be fixed to an interior container surface using any of a variety of known connectors, for example, durable woven shipping straps, c-shaped clips or s-shaped clips can be fixed to appropriate receiving members established at fixed positions upon the container walls.

An obvious shortcoming of this solution, however, is that in instances where the backmost portion of the freight load is not lined up with the fixed receiving members, strap buckles or the like must be tightened using bucklers or the like to account for volume discrepancy.

As those of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will readily appreciate, however, securing a load in this manner can lead to uneven pressure being applied to corners of the load by the restraining straps, as restraint tension will naturally be greatest at points nearest the buckling of a tightening device. Consequently, the corners and other surfaces of more delicate freight are frequently damaged, and rearward and lateral movement are in any event inefficiently restrained.

Another problem with this method is that freight is typically stored only toward the front of the container out of an abundance of caution, since the forward wall of the container acts as a stop for forward freight movement, and for the reasons discussed above rearward and lateral freight movement are not reliably restrained. Moreover, loads ending in an angled orientation (for example, irregularly shaped equipment such as many pianos, etc.), can only be restrained by fastening restraints to opposing restraint receiving means.

Another common method for restraining freight, used either with or the without the load restraint method described above, is to further restrain shaking and other lateral movements by covering the entire load with netting, blankets, etc., and then again using a torqueing force such as a ratcheted buckler or the like to tighten straps or the like down over the load. Again, however, more delicate loads can easily become damaged in this manner.

Yet another issue with the foregoing freight restraint approaches is that it is very difficult to load and pack a container such that multiple loads, for example, loads originating from different sources and/or customers, are easily segregated, since the ability to secure the loads using straps and other types of restraints is functionally limited by the fixed placement of the restraint connector receiving means installed along the wall of the container.

So, while plural loads can be added to a container using the methodologies of the prior art, there remains to date no efficient and volume adjustable system for effectively subdividing the interior space of a storage container so that loads can be segregated (or not) and transported in a safe, reliable manner that limits shaking and movement in all directions while still allowing for well-balanced, delicate freight moving operations to be carried out.

SUMMARY

A volume adjustable container system is provided, the system including at least a sliding track system disposed longitudinally along the inside walls of a container, wherein the sliding track system further comprises a plurality of variably and scalably adjustable restraint receiving members. Association of the longitudinally disposed track system with a vertically disposed track system; the addition or substitution of other similar track systems disposed in neighboring configurations arranged throughout a wide range of angular sweep; and a wide variety of restraining members and restraining element receiving elements, are also provided.

DETAILED EXAMPLE OF SEVERAL REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENTS

In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, a sliding, volume-adjustable restraint receiving system is proposed, in which the desired location of a plurality of restraint receiving members can be variably and scalably adjusted, both before and after load introduction, so that overall load restraint is performed quickly, safely, efficiently and with respect to the potential delicacy of the freight elements.

By way of a specific though non-limiting embodiment, assume a content of concert electronics and musical equipment is to be packed, temporarily stored and transported from one performance venue to another using a large, multi-axle moving van. In this example, such equipment and electronics are sometimes referred to generically as the freight or the load, whereas the interior storage space of the large, multi-axle moving van is sometimes referred to as the container. Ordinarily skilled artisans will readily appreciate, however, that virtually any type of freight transported by a carrier means could be substituted for the example freight, and any type of carrier having a generally (though not necessarily uniformly) rectangular or other fixed interior storage space could be substituted for the example container means.

In the example embodiment, further assume that the owners of the freight wish to segregate the concert electronics and musical equipment, respectively, and that each portion of the freight should be stored and transported in a secure, well-balanced manner that respects the inherent delicacy of such items.

According to the present invention, then, an example storage and transportation operation is as follows.

First, the musical equipment is typically stored toward the front of the container, because load stability must be ensured, and in any event the freight owner or managers desire that the musical instruments be removed last, since it comprises the last equipment to be installed during the new venue setup process. The concert electronics are needed earlier in the setup process, as venue installation technicians will need to begin installation and wiring connections before the musical instruments are needed.

The interior surface of the container is equipped with a sliding track-like system that runs longitudinally along the side walls of the container, so that restraining elements such as durable woven shipping straps, their connecting means such as c-shaped clips or s-shaped clips, and their corresponding restraint receiving members can be easily slid along a plurality of such longitudinally disposed tracks. For example, two such tracks can be provided, so that a first track runs longitudinally along an upper portion of the container's side wall in an orientation essentially parallel to the container's bottom surface, and a second track runs longitudinally along a lower portion of the container's side wall in an orientation essentially parallel to both the container's bottom surface and the first, uppermost track.

Additional tracks, for example a middle track running longitudinally along a middle portion of the container's side wall in an orientation essentially parallel to both the container's bottom surface and the uppermost and lowermost tracks, could also be provided. Naturally, n-number of such tracks, each running longitudinally or in conjunction with vertically adjustable tracks; a plurality of only vertically adjustable tracks disposed in communication either with or without the longitudinal members; vertically or longitudinally disposed tracks disposed between previously existing tracks (for example, horizontally disposed tracks installed in the “valleys” or lower spaces between existing vertically mounted tracks, etc.); tracks which vary in angular orientation (e.g., at forty-five degree angles or other fixed or openly adjustable angular orientations) and/or longitudinal or vertical lengths or heights (so that entire lengths or heights of the containers or only portions thereof are so equipped) can be arranged in like manner.

Once the musical instruments are loaded in the desired manner, the variable, scalable restraint application and connection means are mechanically engaged, for example, using a plurality of c-shaped or s-shaped clips or other known or future compatible connectors established for the purposes of this invention, and the freight load is efficiently and reliably restrained in a well-balanced manner that respects the delicacy of the nature of the load. As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the restraining means can comprise one or more appropriately suitable means such as freight straps, whether adjustable or fixed; restraining chains, whether adjustable or fixed; load bars, whether telescoping or fixed, etc., or combinations thereof.

Continuing the example, then, a space between the instruments and electronics is defined, the tracks and their restraint means are adjusted to provide a new forward movement restraint system; the equipment is loaded into the carrier in the desired configuration; and the tracks and restraint elements are again adjusted behind the rearmost portion of the load and tightened in a manner that ensures balance and delicacy as well as safe, efficient and repeatable restraint.

A great many other advantages and variations of the instant disclosure will readily occur to an ordinarily skilled artisan, even if significant departures from the non-limiting disclosure of structures and operations described herein are practiced.

Nowhere in the art of record, however, whether considered alone or in combination, are methods and means for safely and efficiently adjusting the interior volume spaces of an otherwise fixed-volume storage and transportation container known or used in a manner consistent with the instant disclosure.

The foregoing specification is provided for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to describe all possible aspects of the present invention. Moreover, while the invention has been shown and described in detail with respect to several exemplary embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will appreciate that minor changes to the description, and various other modifications, omissions and additions may also be made without departing from either the spirit or scope thereof. 

1. A volume adjustable container system, said system comprising: a sliding track system disposed longitudinally along the inside walls of a container; wherein said sliding track system further comprises a plurality of variably and scalably adjustable restraint receiving members.
 2. The volume adjustable container system of claim 1, said longitudinally disposed sliding track system is further disposed in mechanical communication with one or more vertically disposed restraint systems.
 3. The volume adjustable container system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of variably and scalably adjustable restraint receiving members is further disposed in mechanical communication with one or more restraining elements.
 4. The volume adjustable container system of claim 3, wherein said one or more restraining elements further comprises one or more of woven shipping straps, c-shaped clips and s-shaped clips.
 5. The volume adjustable container system of claim 1, wherein said restraint receiving members are configured to slide either within or upon said longitudinally disposed sliding track system.
 6. The volume adjustable container system of claim 2, wherein said restraint receiving members are configured to slide either within or upon said vertically disposed restraint system.
 7. The volume adjustable container system of claim 1 further comprising one or more longitudinally disposed sliding tracks disposed in communication with each of the containers side walls, respectively.
 8. The volume adjustable container system of claim 1, further comprising one or more longitudinally disposed sliding track systems disposed in communication with one or more of either a ceiling surface or floor surface of said container.
 9. The volume adjustable container system of claim 2, wherein one or more tracks of said longitudinally disposed sliding track system and one or more tracks of said vertically disposed sliding track system are variably oriented through an angular sweep of between zero and ninety degrees.
 10. The volume adjustable container system of claim 4, wherein said restraining elements further comprise one or more of freight straps, whether adjustable or fixed; restraining chains, whether adjustable or fixed; load bars, whether telescoping or fixed; and combinations thereof. 